Seaton to head Pepsi business at BBDO China

National- BBDO China has hired ex AOL advertising director Hugh Seaton as business director charged with driving growth of Pepsi's beverage and food businesses into China's tier 2, 3 and 4 cities.

Based in Shanghai, Seaton replaces Frank Merterns and reports to Carol Potter, CEO of BBDO China.

Seaton started his advertising career in 1996 at DMB&B based in Hong Kong handling projects for Hennessy, Hyatt and BAT in the greater China and Southeast Asia region. He then moved to New York to work at EuroRSCG handling the Philips Electronics global business account two years later.

In 2000, Seaton moved to the client-side and joined Sony Electronics to drive marketing programs for Walkman and Cybershot as well as earned an MBA from Columbia University and London Business School before working a further three years as advertising director at AOL.